Philipsburg - Gustavia
Ferry to St Barts
Philipsburg - Gustavia
Ferry to St Barts
Fares for the Philipsburg to Gustavia crossing usually range somewhere between $126* and $665*. Most travellers pay around $334* for a Philipsburg Gustavia ferry ticket, and the cheapest fares on this route begin at $126*. Foot passengers can expect to pay roughly $334* on average.
Fares vary according to passenger count, vehicle type, the route itself and what time you sail. Figures come from fares searched in the previous 30 days, don't include service fees, and were last checked August 26.
There's a quick way to stack up ferry fares and operators from around the world side by side, so you can pick the crossing that best suits you. Getting in early tends to open up the widest choice of prices and sailing times.
Direct Ferries has discounts running throughout the year. Where a senior discount applies to your crossing, it's applied the moment you pick the matching age bracket in the passenger section of your search.
If you're a student or recent graduate, a 5% discount is up for grabs. Head to our partner Student Beans to confirm your status and you'll receive a code to enter at checkout.
A handful of Spanish and Italian ferry routes also offer a resident discount — choose the "Residents" option if it appears during your search and the lower fare is applied straight away. You'll usually need to show proof of address, like a residency card or certificate, when you check in.
Sailings on the Philipsburg Gustavia route generally kick off from Philipsburg at around 07:15, and the last departure of the day is usually around 17:30.
You certainly can — with a short crossing and sailings running daily, Philipsburg to Gustavia is an easy day trip. Taking a vehicle, where possible, gives you the freedom to explore a bit further once you land.
No, vehicles aren't currently accepted on sailings between Philipsburg and Gustavia.
Bicycles aren't currently accepted on sailings between Philipsburg and Gustavia.
Yes, Great Bay Express carries foot passengers between Philipsburg and Gustavia.
Pet owners are in luck — Great Bay Express allows pets on board between Philipsburg and Gustavia. Travelling with a pet on this crossing costs an average of $564.
Fares reflect searches from the last 30 days, exclude service fees, and were last checked August 26.
Before you bring a pet on board, it helps to have the following sorted:
It depends on which operator you're sailing with — some ferries keep pets in your vehicle for the whole trip, while others have dedicated pet areas, kennels, or even pet-friendly cabins. Our Deal Finder lays out the options so you can pick the crossing that works for your pet.
There's a bit to know before travelling with a guide or assistance dog. Let our customer service team know in advance, or mention it to the ferry operator when you book, so everything's arranged ahead of time.
Carry any certification or documentation your dog needs, since you could be asked to show it at boarding or partway through the crossing.
Rules for guide dogs and assistance dogs can differ from general pet policy, even on sailings where pets aren't otherwise allowed. Reach out to our customer service team to check what applies to your sailing, or visit our Special Assistance Help page for more detail.
Whether the Philipsburg to Gustavia route has an overnight sailing depends on a mix of factors. Search with your travel dates, and we'll show you whether an overnight option exists, plus current timetables, crossing times and daytime alternatives.
Note that overnight sailings can occasionally take a bit longer than daytime crossings.
What you'll need to travel varies by route, so it pays to check ahead of your sailing. A valid passport is typically required for the Philipsburg to Gustavia crossing, along with any visa or national ID required for your nationality. As rules depend on both where you're from and where you're headed, our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide is worth a read to avoid any hold-ups at check-in.
Booking couldn't be simpler — select your departure port, arrival port and travel date to see everything on offer. From there, you can weigh up alternative routes and departure times to land on the best fit.
Look for early-booking deals and flexible fare types, like upgrades or flexi-tickets, which give you room to change plans later. Double-check details such as passenger numbers and vehicle specs as you go, to keep the booking process painless.
You'll get a confirmation email the moment your booking goes through. From there, how your boarding pass turns up depends on the operator.
Some operators send the boarding pass straight away, while others want you to check in at the port. Where it's on offer, online check-in through the Direct Ferries app can save you time at the terminal.
Ticket desks tend to sit right by the ferry terminal. Building in some extra time before you sail means you won't be rushed collecting tickets and getting checked in.
Have your confirmation email and valid photo ID — a passport or identity card — ready at check-in. If a pet's travelling with you, bring their vaccination and insurance papers, and hold onto proof of address if you booked with a resident discount.
A gap in sailings from Philipsburg to Gustavia on your chosen date usually comes down to something like a timetable adjustment, limited space, or a seasonal dip in service. Try a different date, or browse other options with our Route & Port finder.
Generally speaking, booking your Philipsburg to Gustavia ferry sooner rather than later pays off — earlier bookings usually mean lower fares and more choice of departure times and cabins.
A few weeks' lead time is usually enough to catch a good deal, though fares can still move around depending on the season and what's left available.
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| Philipsburg - Gustavia Ferry Route Prices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Foot Passenger | $334 | |
| Average Cabin Price | $324 | |
| Philipsburg - Gustavia Ferry Route Summary | |
|---|---|
| Origin | St Martin |
| Destination | St Barts |
| No. of Operators | 1 |
| Operators | Great Bay Express |
| Average Price | $334 |
| Average Pet Price | $564 |
| Average Daily Sailings | 3 |
| Average Weekly Sailings | 17 |
| Average Sailing Duration | 45 m |
| Fastest Sailing Duration | 45 m |
| First Ferry | 07:15 |
| Last Ferry | 17:30 |
| Distance | 12 Nautical Miles |
* Prices subject to change, pricing is taken from last 30 days, last updated 1 August 2026.
Philipsburg is the capital of Sint Maarten, an island laying in the Caribbean Sea. Great Bay Express provide the only ferry route from the port, heading to Gustavia, an island laying to Sint Marteen’s south east, and lasts around 45 minutes.
On the warm western coast of Saint Barthélemy, a French-owned island in the West Indies more commonly known as St Barts, is the port town of Gustavia. Named after King Gustav III of Sweden who was granted the town in the 1700’s in exchange for French trading access to Gothenburg, Gustavia has become a fashionable summer destination blessed with a year-round tropical climate. The town is built in a horse-shoe arc that surrounds a rectangular bay of the Caribbean Sea. It’s collection of red-roofed buildings rise and fall upon the vista of hills that mark the coast, their rough faces coloured by the deep green hues of succulent plants and palm trees. Despite its modern revival as a deluxe shopping centre of boutique clothing and jewellery stores, vestiges of the town’s historic Swedish-style architecture still remains. This includes the famous Wall House museum and the lofty ramparts of Fort Gustave that sits atop a hillside on the outskirts of the suburbs. The port of Gustavia is located by the mouth of the bay, just beside the town’s industrial zone. It’s a small facility that consists of little more than a ferry docking area and a check-in terminal staffed by multi-lingual staff. Though there are no public buses in town, the island’s only airport is just a 20-minute walk away from the harbour, with flights heading to the other islands across the West Indies. Taxi services regularly operate from outside the port too. They take passengers deeper into town along the Rue de la Republique and towards the beautiful stretches of gold-sand beaches that line the crystalline shallows of the sea. Three passenger routes currently leave from the port a number of times throughout the week. Voyager line ferries sail the short distance north to the towns of Marigot and Oyster Pond on the island of Saint-Martin, while another daily service hosted by Great Bay Express travels to Philipsburg. All of these routes skirt the cliff-lined shores of St Barts’ north-eastern peninsula before skimming across the deep-blue waters of Saint-Barthelemy Channel.
